§11-48-16.1. Assessment of charge against landowner seeking to connect to sewer.

(a) If a landowner, whose property has not previously been assessed a fee for the public improvement of sanitary sewers or the sanitary sewer system, requests to be connected to the existing sanitary sewer after the term of a public improvement ordinance relating to that improvement has expired, the governing body of any city or town shall, if the improvement has sufficient capacity to add the user, assess a charge against the property to be drained, served, or benefitted by the sanitary sewers or sanitary sewer system to the extent of the increased value to the property by reason of the special benefit derived from the connection.

(b) The assessment shall be computed at the same rate, if readily available, for property originally assessed under the public improvement ordinance establishing the sanitary sewers to which the landowner desires to connect. If the governing body determines the rate is not readily available, the assessment shall be as determined by the governing body, but shall not be in excess of either (1) the reasonable front foot cost of the sewer at current construction costs under similar circumstances or (2) the increased value to the property by reason of the special benefit derived from the connection.

(c) The fee for the connection shall be assessed prior to a plumbing permit being issued to perform the connection. Payment for the assessment shall be allowed pursuant to Section 11-48-48, and arrangements for the payment shall be made prior to the issuance of any required plumbing permit for the connection.

(d) The provisions of this section are cumulative and shall not be construed to repeal or supersede any provisions of any local law or general law of local application relating to assessment of property owners by cities or towns for public improvements.

(Acts 1995, No. 95-379, p. 774, §§1, 2.)